Tips for City Driving

Whether you’re from the middle of nowhere or you’ve been a city-dweller all your life, driving in cities can be scary. Traffic is congested, there’s construction everywhere, and finding a parking spot is like looking for a needle in a haystack. Follow these tips for city driving if you’re feeling overwhelmed.

First of all, if you’re driving in the city frequently, you might want to make sure you have a car that fits in places. Parking is a nightmare in cities, and having a compact car not only opens up more parking spaces on streets but also gives you access to exclusive small-car spots in garages, which tend to be close to the exit.

There are a lot of things to consider if you’re driving in the city daily, like gas mileage and technologies. If you have room in your budget, spring for driver assist technologies like parking assist and collision mitigation. And cars with higher gas mileage—maybe a hybrid?—will save you a lot of stops at the pump.

When it comes to driving, you should avoid switching lanes when you don’t have to. It increases your risk of an accident and it doesn’t even get you where you’re going much faster. City traffic is too congested to get much extra speed.

Avoid rush hour if you can. It’s the most dangerous time of day anywhere, but it’s especially bad in cities. Cities also have a lot more pedestrians and crosswalks, so brush up on the rules and be extra careful to avoid hitting anyone.

Lastly, keep your road rage in check! Getting angry makes you reckless, which increases your odds of hitting another car or a pedestrian.